ment a large amount of work of reconstruction. New buildings have become necessary by the extension of some of the functions of the civil government, particularly in the department of public instruction. In order to provide that the work here involved may be properly done, the civil government has engaged Mr. Edgar K. Bourne to be the chief of a bureau of architecture and construction of public buildings. The various schoolhouses and other public buildings which it becomes necessary to construct from time to time will be built under his supervision.

ORGANIZATION OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

Prior to the date of the commission's last preceding report, the work done in establishing and carrying on public schools was without systematic organization. The first important step forward was the enactment of a law (No. 74) establishing a department or bureau of public instruction, which should have jurisdiction over all public schools in the archipelago. This law, with its amendments, provides for 1 general superintendent of public instruction, 18 division superintendents, and such a number of deputy division superintendents as the secretary of public instruction may consider desirable, but the number shall not exceed in any division the number of provinces in that division.

It was proposed by law to establish for the schools a centralized organization, and in keeping with this design the general superintendent was given extensive powers. He was authorized to establish schools; to appoint division superintendents, teachers, and clerks authorized by law, and prescribe the duties of such teachers and clerks; to fix salaries within the limits established by law; to establish curricula for primary, secondary, and other public schools; to divide the islands into school divisions; to fix the relation between the principal teacher and other teachers, and to perform certain other functions essential to the effective administration and control of the schools. The law establishing the system of public instruction provided, also, that as soon as practicable the English language would be made the basis of all public instruction, and the general superintendent was authorized to obtain from the United States 1,000 trained teachers at monthly salaries of not less than $75 and not more than $125, the exact salary of each teacher to be fixed by the general superintendent. A superior advisory board was created, to be composed of the general superintendent and 4 members to be appointed, in accordance with the terms of the law, by the commission, but by the civil governor after his inauguration, and in each municipality a local school board consisting of 4 or 6 members, as the division superintendent might determine, in addition to the presidente or alcalde of the municipality, who should be a member ex officio. Each pueblo was made a school district, and it was made the duty of the municipal council to make as ample provi

sion as possible by local taxation for the support of the schools established within its jurisdiction. This act of organization, furthermore, established a trade school and a normal school in Manila and an agricultural school in the island of Negros. The attitude which the schools should assume toward the teaching of religion was fixed by the adoption of the so-called Faribault plan. This was set forth in section 16, in the following language:

No teacher or other person shall teach or criticise the doctrines of any church, religious sect or denomination, or shall attempt to influence the pupils for or against any church or religious sect in any public school established under this act. If any teacher shall intentionally violate this section, he or she shall, after due hearing, be dismissed from public service.

Provided, however, that it shall be lawful for the priest or minister of any church established in the pueblo where a public school is situated, either in person or by a designated teacher of religion, to teach religion for one-half an hour three times a week in the school buildings to those public-school pupils whose parents or guardians desire it and express their desire therefor in writing filed with the principal teacher of the school, to be forwarded to the division superintendent, who shall fix the hours and rooms for such teaching. But no publicschool teacher shall either conduct religious exercises, or teach religion, or act as a designated religious teacher in the school building under the foregoing authority, and no pupil shall be required by any publicschool teacher to attend and receive religious instruction herein permitted. Should the opportunity thus given to teach religion be used by the priest, minister, or religious teacher for the purpose of arousing disloyalty to the United States, or of discouraging the attendance of pupils at such public school, of creating a disturbance of public order, or of interfering with the discipline of the school, the division superintendent, subject to the approval of the general superintendent of public instruction, may, after due investigation and hearing, forbid such offending priest, minister, or religious teacher from entering the public-school building thereafter.

Down to the present time no priest or other religious teacher has asked for the use of any schoolhouse for the purpose of teaching religion in accordance with the terms of this section.

The extent and natural distribution of the territory of the archipelago made it expedient to provide for a more immediate supervision than could be rendered by the general superintendent. To this end the territory has been divided into eighteen divisions, over each of which is appointed a division superintendent, exercising such powers as are prescribed by section 9 of act No. 74.

TRANSPORTATION, RECEPTION, AND ASSIGNMENT OF TEACHERS.

The transportation, reception, and distribution of the teachers who left San Francisco in small companies in the early part of the year presented no difficulties and called for no extraordinary action on the part of the authorities in Manila. Each transport brought a few and

quarters were readily found for them while waiting for vessels to take them to their destination. In a single instance, when about 60 arrived in Manila at once, it was found necessary to give them quarters in the rooms of the Escuela Municipal, but when the question of transporting 600 teachers from San Francisco to Manila arose it was decided to ask the Secretary of War to set apart one transport, or more if needed, for the exclusive use of the school-teachers. To this request a reply, dated May 29, was received, which stated that if the strike interfered with the work of repairing the Sherman, the Thomas or Lawton would be especially fitted in order to accommodate exclusively 600 school-teachers, sailing on or about July 1. The time of sailing was, however, much later than the date originally fixed, and the ship entered the bay of Manila on August 21, but owing to certain requirements of the sanitary inspector the passengers were not allowed to land until August 23.

Anticipating the arrival of this large number of persons, arrangements had been made to receive them and to entertain them during the few days they were expected to remain in Manila before going to the towns to which they were to be assigned. On inquiry it was found that there were no adequate accommodations for them in the hotels or or in any building suited for the purpose in the city. It was then determined to provide quarters for them on the exposition grounds. The central or administration building was repaired and cleaned and furnished for the accommodation of the women. Two of the large nipa barracks, built for the accommodation of the American soldiers, were used as quarters for the single men. Several small nipa buildings that had been used as officers' quarters were turned over to the teachers with families. Three or four of the other permanent buildings were used for different purposes; one was repaired and used as a dining room, another was used as quarters for families that could not be entertained in the officers' barracks, and still another was used as a storeroom for baggage.

The teachers landed near the Anda Monument, at the foot of Malecon Drive, and with their baggage, embracing more than 2,000 trunks, were transported to the exposition grounds. The landing was effected without accident or loss on the 23d. A temporary kitchen was constructed adjoining the dining hall, and a contract was made with the proprietor of the English Hotel, who agreed to provide tablecloths, dishes, and whatever else was necessary to furnish the tables, except napkins, and also a sufficient number of efficient cooks and waiters, and to furnish first-class food in sufficient quantities and to serve it "in the very best manner possible." The meat, vegetables, and fruit were carefully inspected each day and every effort was rendered to make the conditions of life sanitary. In his report, made after a careful

inspection of the materials used, Dr. Anderson, the physician in charge, said:

The sanitary condition of the restaurant quarters has been carefully inspected and found to compare favorably with any hotel or restaurant in the city of Manila. I have personally inspected the meats, fish, fruits, bread, pastry, and vegetables and find them of first quality, pure and fresh.

After the first few days, during which a few of the company suffered from troubles of the stomach, due to the change from ship to shore life and to an almost unavoidable indiscretion in new and strange conditions, the health of the teachers remained generally very satisfactory. The Government provided the services of two physicians. From 7 p. m. to 7 a. m. Dr. E. T. Anderson was in constant attendance, and during the day Dr. Fitzpatrick, the assistant attending physician and surgeon, was always on call.

When the teachers were sent to their posts throughout the archipelago none was suffering from impaired health due to the conditions. of residence in Manila. A few were in poor condition physically when they landed, and one, Mr. W. S. Davis, died a few weeks later. He had been assigned to Moncada, in the province of Tarlac, and later went to the military hospital at Dagupan for an operation for appendicitis. The case was, however, so far advanced that no relief was possible. He left a wife and five children under 7 years of age. The military authorities at Moncada, Dagupan, and elsewhere, as well as the teachers, rendered every assistance possible, and Mrs. Davis and the children were brought to Manila to wait for transportation to the United States. In the meantime the Manila American, a daily newspaper, started a subscription, and a sum amounting to somewhat more than $1,000 in gold was raised and presented to Mrs. Davis.

A few of the teachers found quarters with friends in the city. The whole number entertained at the exposition grounds was 572, and the majority of them left for the towns to which they were assigned within twenty days after their arrival in Manila. A few remained several days longer, owing to the difficulty of getting transportation to the more isolated towns. This period was taken up in securing proper clothing and supplies and in visiting the schools in Manila. Provision for the transportation of the teachers to their respective stations was made by the purchasing agent of the civil government and the chief quartermaster of the Army. The proprietors of the interisland steamship lines received the teachers at half rates and gave them the best accommodations their ships afforded.

In assigning teachers to their work, careful attention was given to reports of the division superintendents who had already visited their divisions, and to the requests from military officers, presidentes of the municipalities, and other persons interested in the welfare of the schools.